“It is the club of my career, It was the place where I felt happiest playing football”- Championship winner names Wolves as the club of his career

The 2017/18 Championship-winning campaign was highly memorable for many Wolves fans and players. 

After years of being stuck in the second tier, Nuno Espirito Santo galvanised the city and turned the squad into one of the best the division had ever seen. 

The likes of Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota and Conor Coady tore up the Championship as Wolves went on to win the title with 99 points. However, while many of the squad made the step up to the Premier League with ease, others were quickly moved on in favour of new blood. 

One man who never reached his expected heights was Ruben Vinagre. However, the wing-back still looks back on his Old Gold career with fondness. Vinagre was one of many players who joined Wolves during the 2017 summer transfer window. The wing-back initially made the move to Molineux on loan from Monaco. 

In his first campaign, he impressed as he made 13 appearances and netted once, in a 4-0 victory away to Burton Albion. Upon hitting the Premier League, Vinagre was given more responsibility, making a combined 53 appearances in all competitions across the next two seasons.

However, by the time the 2020/21 campaign came around, he was sent out on numerous loans after Rayan Ait-Nouri’s arrival and was eventually sold to Sporting CP in 2022. While Vinagre was believed to have plenty of potential, the 25-year-old now finds himself on loan to Polish side Legia Warsaw as he aims to return to form.

Yet, despite his career getting slightly off track, he still holds much love for Wolves as he insisted it was the ‘club of his career’.

“Wolves was the team that most marked my career by far,” he told the Record. “I made my debut as a professional footballer, I made my debut in the best championship in the world, I played with and against the best players of my career.

“The fans, the affection I felt, the coaching staff. It was the place where I felt happiest playing football. A lot of it is due to what we built there, the locker room was unbelievable.

“The staff, the people who took care of the food, everything. They were all five stars. So far, it is the club of my career.”

The 2017/18 campaign is one that will live long in the memories of Wolves fans. Whether it was the late 2-1 victory against Bristol City or the dramatic end at the Cardiff City Stadium, there were so many legendary moments during that season.

This would not have been possible without the players, with each one becoming a cult hero at Molineux for their contribution to the club. The connection between that squad and the fans was beyond anything many supporters had seen before, and much of Wolves’ success now can be attributed to this.